Harry Kane will make his 126th England appearance and become the most-capped men’s player in Three Lions history when England play Croatia in the Nations League at Wembley on Thursday (19:45 GMT). Kane, who has played 36 times at major tournaments, more than any other England player, will overtake Peter Shilton, who won 125 caps between 1970 and 1990.
“It’s not about me – it’s about the team,” said Kane, who has scored 91 goals in his 125 appearances for his country. “I love coming to every England camp, I love playing every game and representing the country in the best way possible.”
England boss Thomas Tuchel made the milestone the centrepiece of his praise when he announced his squad last week. “He wins the Ballon d’Or, and deservedly so, and in the next game for England he gets the all-time record with 126 matches,” Tuchel said. “Thursday is a deserved occasion to celebrate an extraordinary player.”
A long journey from the first goal
Kane’s England journey began in 2015, when he scored 79 seconds into his debut, a 4-0 Euro 2016 qualifying win over Lithuania at Wembley. Then England boss Roy Hodgson was delighted for the 21-year-old Tottenham striker. “It’s great when fairytales come true,” Hodgson said. “Let’s hope it’s the start of a good and long England career for him.”
That career has been full of emotion. Kane fought back tears after missing a penalty in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final defeat by France. At this summer’s World Cup, he sang Wonderwall with fans after the win over Croatia, a moment he labelled one of his “favourite ever moments” in a Three Lions shirt.
Before he pulled on the shirt himself, Kane was a passionate England supporter. Aged 12, he remembers the heartache of England going out on penalties to Portugal in the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals under Sven-Goran Eriksson, and failing to qualify for Euro 2008 under Steve McClaren. “During most major tournaments we would go to the pub to watch England, with the beer garden and the screen,” Kane said. “I remember many tears being shed after we went out on penalties and things like that.”
Roots in north London
The London-born striker grew up in Chingford and fell in love with football early. Aged five, he wrote about his ambition to become a footballer in a school project. Weekends and holidays were spent playing in Ridgeway Park with his dad Patrick and brother Charlie, using trees as goalposts. Patrick was usually in goal.
At Larkswood Primary School, Kane and his friends played in the playground, where they were only allowed to use tennis balls. He later played Sunday league football for Ridgeway Rovers, a club whose former players included David Beckham, Kane’s idol growing up. Beckham had sent a Real Madrid shirt back to Kane’s secondary school while Kane was there. “Seeing Beckham’s shirt hanging there growing up and knowing he grew up in the same surroundings as I did was a source of great motivation,” Kane said.
A leader for his country
Wayne Rooney was England captain and Joe Hart was in goal when Kane made his debut 11 years ago. Hart, who later played alongside Kane at Tottenham, remembers his first impression. “My reaction when he first came into the England squad was: ‘Alright, who is this guy?'” Hart said. “Then I was like: ‘Oh OK, he’s good!’ Then he kept coming back [into the England squad] and my reaction was: ‘Flipping heck, he’s getting better!'”
Hart added with a laugh: “I went to Tottenham during Covid and it got to the point in training where he was that good that I wasn’t even diving for his shots. I was thinking: ‘I adore you, but you are frustrating the life out of me.'”
Kane has played under five England managers. He won 81 of his 125 caps under Gareth Southgate, who gave him the captaincy for the first time in 2017, even though Kane was not Tottenham captain at the time. Southgate valued leadership above all. “I want people with leadership qualities who are respected by the group, and capable of stepping forward at the right moments and handling responsibility,” he said. Kane has captained England 97 times, more than anyone else.
Still going strong at 33
Kane is now 33, and questions about his future are inevitable. He will be approaching 35 when England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland co-host Euro 2028. Despite individual awards and back-to-back Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, he has yet to lead his country to a major trophy.
Former West Germany captain Lothar Matthaus, who won the 1990 World Cup, believes Kane is improving with age. “He aged, but he got better too, like red wine,” Matthaus said.
Kane has adapted his game to stay at the top level and is not yet ready to talk about retirement. “From a physical point of view, I feel great,” he said. “My numbers are as high as ever, and I’ve recently reached a new top speed in a game against Borussia Dortmund. I’m going to keep pushing and see what else is possible.”
Hart said Kane’s success rests on his mind rather than his legs. “He’s never particularly relied on pace. It’s all about his thought process and his brain and how he calculates the game.”
In his 125 appearances, England have won 83, drawn 22 and lost 20. Kane’s 91 goals include 58 with his right foot, 15 with his left and 18 headers, with three from outside the box. Twenty-six have come from the penalty spot.
Never forgetting home
Kane’s rise from a Leyton Orient loan signing to Ballon d’Or winner is well documented. He has not forgotten the clubs that helped him along the way. In 2020, he sponsored Leyton Orient’s shirt, and the home strip carried a message of thanks to frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The mental health charity Mind and Haven House Children’s Hospice also featured on the club’s two change shirts as part of the deal.
“I was born and brought up only a couple of miles from Orient’s stadium and I’m really happy to have the opportunity to give back to the club that gave me my first professional start,” Kane said at the time. “It also gives me a platform to say a big thank you to the many frontline heroes and charities out there who provide care and support during these challenging times.”
Matthaus, who has seen Kane’s influence at Bayern Munich, summed up his character. “He is a good person, a good ambassador, the captain of the English national team playing at a German club.”
On Thursday, England’s players and fans will celebrate Kane’s latest record, and he will be 126 not out.